Although a [[JapanesePopMusic pop/rock performer]] of substantial fame and talent with an international following, this [[HospitalHottie former nurse]] is probably best known in the United States for the hundred or more roles she's played in various anime and video games; reading her resume is like reading a history of the best in Japanese animation.

Megumi Hayashibara was notably part of the wave of seiyuu, along with Creator/HekiruShiina and Creator/MarikoKouda, that became popular in the 1990s due to the large amounts of money provided by recording companies and the more multi-media approach to stardom developed at that time. Her debut was playing several bit roles in the anime ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku'' which probably led to her role as girl-type [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma]].

Any ''one'' of these roles would be a career-making milestone for a voice actress, but as a WomanOfAThousandVoices, Hayashibara has had the talent and skill to win that kind of part again and again. She is such a major figure in anime that the character of Megumi Reinard in ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' was actually based on her, partly as parody and partly as tribute. She is arguably one of the few seiyuu who isn't [[PigeonholedVoiceActor set in a role]]. Her huge number of voice credits have invited comparison to MelBlanc, JuneForay, and Creator/FrankWelker in American Animation.

When she has a part in an anime, she frequently performs its [[AnimeThemeSong theme song]]; she is also in demand to record themes for other anime as well, such as "Treat or Goblins" from ''Anime/AbenobashiMahouShoutengai'' and the Achika version of "Alchemy of Love", the theme song for the ''Tenchi Universe'' film, ''Tenchi Muyo! in Love''.

As the seiyuu for girl-type Ranma in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', she has been a part of the singing group [=DoCo=], and has participated in other anime-related "supergroups" as well.

She's even done Japanese dubbing for American animation, most notably as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Diddy Kong in the ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' TV series, Sam Manson in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', Crysta in ''WesternAnimation/FernGully'' and Little Sneezer from ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''.

She also authored (but didn't draw) the manga about her life biography, titled [[http://nnanime.com/megumi-toon/ Megumi-Toon]].

Her American equivalent is Creator/WendeeLee. Though her DistaffCounterpart is Creator/NorioWakamoto in terms of memetically great voices, in terms of vocal range and the type of characters she has voiced, it would go to Creator/HikaruMidorikawa.

!Tropes associated with Megumi Hayashibara* EnforcedMethodActing: One of the examples of those suffering this before it was prohibited in anime. For a voice-practice of a sad voice, she's told to imagine the saddest moment in her life. Imagining how her grandma died, Megumi was left in tears even after the practice ended, surprising the instructor (at that time, Creator/ShigeruChiba). This scene is drawn in Megumi-Toon.* {{Expy}}: While not voiced by her, [[Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico Megumi Reinard]] is based on her.* HospitalHottie: A certified nurse, and she made a full use of her skills when one of her fans passed out in her concert.* WomanOfAThousandVoices: And ''how''. This is the lady whose voice can range from [[GenkiGirl hyperactive]] to plain [[EmotionlessGirl emotionless]] and sometimes even the cold, harsh one. Oh? And her HotBlooded voice is also a hearing to behold. She first got into seiyuu acting because she gave out an annoyed-as-hell voice because shopping didn't go her way.** The comedic radio-play, ''Evangelion: After the End'', really shows this off: During the play, the normally stoic and quiet Rei finally gets fed up with [[{{Jerkass}} Asuka]]'s [[{{Baka}} constant pronouncing on other people's intelligence]], and goes on an absolutely livid MotorMouth rant about it.----